Rig Veda 6.34.1: Mandala 6, Sukta 34, Mantra 1
Sukta 6.34
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
सं च त्वे जग्मुर्गिर इन्द्र पूर्वीर्वि च त्वद्यन्ति विभ्वो मनीषाः । पुरा नूनं च स्तुतय ऋषीणां पस्पृध्र इन्द्रे अध्युक्थार्का ॥
saṃ ca tve jagmur gira indra pūrvīr vi ca tvad yanti vibhvo manīṣāḥ | purā nūnaṃ ca stutaya ṛṣīṇāṃ paspṛdhre indre adhy uktha-arkā ||
इंद्र, पुराने शब्द तुम्हारे पास आके जमा हो गए। तुमसे ही नए अच्छे विचार निकलते हैं। पहले भी रिशियों की स्तुतियाँ तुम्हारी तरफ जाती थीं। आज भी सब गाने और बोल तुम्हारे ऊपर जा रहे हैं।
Word by Word
- सम्
- together, whollyIndeclinableupasarga/avyayaRoot सम् (upasarga/avyaya)
- च
- andIndeclinableconjunctionRoot च (avyaya)
- त्वे
- in/unto youPronounlocative singular (Vedic enclitic form)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot त्वद् (sarvanāman)
- जग्मुः
- have gone, have comeVerbperfect, 3rd person plural, parasmaipadaRoot √गम्
- गिरः
- songs, hymnsNounnominative plural (f.)Role KartāRoot गिर् (स्त्री)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (proper)vocative singular (m.)Role SambodhanaRoot इन्द्र (पुं)
- पूर्वीः
- former, earlier, ancientAdjectivenominative plural feminineRole Kartā (agreeing with गिरः)Root पूर्व (adj.)
- वि
- apart, forth, widelyIndeclinableupasarga/particleRoot वि (upasarga/avyaya)
- च
- andIndeclinableconjunctionRoot च (avyaya)
- त्वत्
- from youPronounablative singularRole ApādānaRoot त्वद् (sarvanāman)
- यन्ति
- go, proceedVerbpresent, 3rd person plural, parasmaipadaRoot √या
- विभ्वः
- mighty, far-reachingAdjectivenominative plural masculineRole Kartā (agreeing with मनीषाः)Root विभु (adj.)
- मनीषाः
- thoughts, inspirations, insightsNounnominative plural (f.)Role KartāRoot मनीषा (स्त्री)
- पुरा
- formerly, of oldIndeclinabletemporal adverbRole Adhikaraṇa (time)Root पुरा (avyaya)
- नूनम्
- now, indeedIndeclinabletemporal/emphatic adverbRole Adhikaraṇa (time)Root नूनम् (avyaya)
- च
- andIndeclinableconjunctionRoot च (avyaya)
- स्तुतयः
- praises, eulogiesNounnominative plural (f.)Role KartāRoot स्तुति (स्त्री)
- ऋषीणाम्
- of the seersNoungenitive plural (m.)Role Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandhaRoot ऋषि (पुं)
- पस्पृध्रः
- striving, emulous, eager (to contend/press on)Kṛdanta/Verbal adjectivenominative singular masculineRole Kartā (of the following verbal idea ‘adhyukthāḥ’)Root √स्पृध् (with reduplication; Vedic perfect/strong form used adjectivally)
- इन्द्रे
- in/for IndraNoun (proper)locative singular (m.)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot इन्द्र (पुं)
- अधि
- upon, over; in additionIndeclinablepreverb/particleRoot अधि (upasarga/avyaya)
- उक्थाः
- recitations, hymns (uktha)Nounnominative plural (n.)Role Kartā (with अर्काः as coordinated subject)Root उक्थ (नपुं)
- अर्काः
- songs of praise, chantsNounnominative plural (m.)Role KartāRoot अर्क (पुं)
Sandhi Notes
- Resolved padapāṭha-style splits: सं च त्वे → सम् + च + त्वे
- जग्मुर्गिरः → जग्मुः + गिरः
- पू॒र्वीर्वि → पूर्वीः + वि
- त्वद्यन्ति → त्वत् + यन्ति
- ऋषीणां → ऋषीणाम् (before following consonant)
- अध्यु॑क्था॒र्का → अधि + उक्थाः + अर्काः. Accent marks in the saṃhitā are not repeated in the pada forms here
- analysis is morphological
The meaning
Outer meaning
The ancient words have gathered into you, Indra, and from you go forth wide, effective thoughts. Formerly and now, the seers’ praises have striven toward Indra; hymns and chants press upward to you.
Inner meaning
All true mantric speech (giraḥ) converges in the illumined Mind-Power (Indra) as its source and fulfillment. From that same luminous center arise expansive inspirations (vibhvī manīṣāḥ) that shape right understanding and action. The rishis’ hymns ‘press upward’ because aspiration naturally climbs toward the plane of light; the mantra reminds the practitioner that inspired speech is not mere poetry but a movement of consciousness returning to its origin and drawing down new creation-thought.
Universal truth
Genuine inspiration is circular: it rises from the depths toward a higher luminous source and returns as widened intelligence that transforms life. Tradition is not repetition but continual re-entry into the living fountain of insight.
Themes
poetics of inspiration, seer tradition continuity, ascent of hymn, divine source of thought
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 6.34 (Indra hymn)
Significance
This verse self-reflexively describes mantra itself: speech rises to Indra and returns as inspired thought—an explicit map of revelation and inner hearing (śruti) in practice.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Vibhū (wide/mighty, implied), Source of manīṣā (inspiration)
- Related deities
- Sarasvatī (inspired speech), Bṛhaspati (lord of the word), Agni (carrier of offerings/aspiration)
Cosmic role
Central receiver and emitter of inspired thought; sustainer of the luminous mind-world that empowers rishi-speech.
Inner power
Revelatory intelligence: the capacity to receive, widen, and project effective insight into mind and life.
In ritual
Where it is used
Stuti introducing or intensifying Indra praise in Soma contexts; also a meta-hymn validating the efficacy of uktha/arka.
सं च॒ त्वे ज॒ग्मुर्गिर॑ इन्द्र पू॒र्वीर्वि च॒ त्वद्य॑न्ति वि॒भ्वो॑ मनी॒षाः । पु॒रा नू॒नं च॑ स्तु॒तय॒ ऋषी॑णां पस्पृ॒ध्र इन्द्रे॒ अध्यु॑क्था॒र्का ॥
सम् । च॒ । त्वे इति॑ । ज॒ग्मुः । गिरः॑ । इ॒न्द्र॒ । पू॒र्वीः । वि । च॒ । त्वत् । य॒न्ति॒ । वि॒ऽभ्वः॑ । म॒नी॒षाः । पु॒रा । नू॒नम् । च॒ । स्तु॒तयः॑ । ऋषी॑णाम् । प॒स्पृ॒ध्रे । इन्द्रे॑ । अधि॑ । उ॒क्थ॒ऽअ॒र्का ॥
sam | ca | tve | iti | jagmuḥ | giraḥ | indra | pūrvīḥ | vi | ca | tvat | yanti | vi-bhvaḥ | manīṣāḥ | purā | nūnam | ca | stutayaḥ | ṛṣīṇām | paspṛdhre | indre | adhi | uktha-arkā
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4 x ~11 syllables
Elevating and ‘ascending’; the syntax itself feels like gathering and outgoing flow.
Encourages receptivity to inspiration; supports a feeling of mantra rising and returning as insight.
- गिरः (giraḥ)
- Literal: words/songs. Symbolic: mantric vibrations carrying aspiration and knowledge
- पूर्वीः (pūrvīḥ)
- Literal: ancient/foremost. Symbolic: primordial truths; perennial realizations of earlier seers
- विभ्वः मनीषाः (vibhvaḥ manīṣāḥ)
- Literal: wide/mighty thoughts. Symbolic: effective inspirations from higher mind; luminous formations of understanding
- स्तुतयः (stutayaḥ)
- Literal: praises. Symbolic: acts of alignment; uplifting movements of consciousness
- ऋषीणाम् (ṛṣīṇām)
- Literal: of the seers. Symbolic: those who see—powers of vision in us as well as historical rishis
- पस्पृध्रे (paspṛdhre)
- Literal: have striven/competed/pressed. Symbolic: intense upward effort of aspiration; yoga as a striving toward light
- उक्थ-अर्का (uktha-arkā)
- Literal: hymns and chants. Symbolic: spoken and sung mantra—articulated knowledge-force
Programmatic opening of an Indra hymn: establishes the flow of inspired speech to/from Indra; suitable as an introductory verse in Indra-stotra sequences in Soma liturgy.
At points where the priestly chant (uktha) is emphasized; before major Indra offerings.
Recitation with attention to sound; offering of speech as oblation.
Use before study, teaching, writing, or any practice of inspired speech; also before japa to remember mantra’s living source.
: perfect of √gam 'to go/come' (PIE *gʷem-). : from √man 'think' (PIE *men-), with nuance of inspired intelligence. /vibhva: from vi + √bhū/√bhū? RV usage 'wide, mighty, pervasive'. : perfect of √spṛdh 'to contend, strive'. : from √vac 'to speak' (semantic development), arka: 'song/chant; ray' from √arc 'to shine/praise'—bridging praise and illumination.
inspiration as a descent/ascent exchange, Rita as the ordered channeling of word and thought, manīṣā as illumined mind
Right speech and right thought arise from alignment with the luminous source, sustaining r̥ta in mind and action.
Mantra is a vehicle of satya when it is received and spoken from the seeing consciousness.
Creation through Word: speech gathers to the source and re-emerges as formative thought-power.
Mantric revelation doctrine (śruti) aligned with Aurobindonian psychology of higher mind inspiration.
The ‘upward press’ is the ascent of aspiration; the ‘gathering’ is concentration; the ‘going forth’ is inspiration descending into active mind.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem of inspired speech as a power that 'goes into' the god and 'comes from' the god: Indra as a fountainhead of manīṣā (illumined thought) and receiver of giraḥ (word). This frames the hymn as a living exchange rather than mere praise.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The core lexemes are IE-inherited: √man (thought) from PIE *men-, √gam (go/come) from PIE *gʷem-, and divinized 'word' traditions comparable to Avestan manah-/mąθra- culture, showing an Indo-Iranian poetic continuum.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishis are not external petitioners but participants in a circuit: their praises converge into Indra, while Indra radiates back powerful mental forms. The relationship is pedagogical and energetic—Indra authorizes and enlarges the seer’s speech.
Offer speech upward; listen inwardly for the returning ‘wide thought’ (manīṣā).
viśuddha (vāc)
Soft ujjāyī or gentle nasal breathing; pause after each pāda to ‘hear’ the echo in silence.
Receptive inspiration; luminous listening (śravaṇa within).
Chant once, then sit in silence: feel words gathering into a bright center above the brow; invite one clear guidance-thought to emerge without forcing.
Rigvedic accents; keep ‘saṃ ca tve’ with clear initial lift; observe natural svarita falls at sandhi points per tradition.
Chant as a wave: gather (saṃ… jagmuḥ) then release (vi ca tvad yanti). Maintain clean caesura after each pāda.
‘jagmur’: pronounce gm cluster cleanly (jag-mur), not ‘jagamar’., ‘vibhvo’: keep bh voiced-aspirate; avoid turning into ‘vivo’., ‘paspṛdhre’: articulate spṛ with clear ṛ.
Clear, resonant, slightly uplifted; prioritize articulation of consonant clusters.
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